The Washington critic., 1887-03-19
WASHINGTON, MARCH 10, 1887.
THE ANARCHISTS. APPEAL.

Thursday ~ not spoken OF rs nclnB
specially strong effort. 1t was prob.
ably somewhat below the expectation
of his clients and of the general pub.
lie, considering MI, Swctts well.
known ability as Il lawyer 1t Is to be
recolleclod however, that he Is not on
the popular side uf the question. He
is arguing aguipst tie weight Of
opinion, as well a5 the legal Judgment
in the case, and tt Is not the cimDr Of
The populaCe for innocent blood with
which he is confronted, but the verdict
of the conseryaivi sentiment Of the
country.
il is the fixed belief of the people Nt
large that the condemned men urc
guilty, If not Of the actual murder, at
least of the death OF the victims Of the
llaymarkct tragedy. There Is NJ
trace OF patriotism in the oirenses with
which they are charged, not even an
element of romance in the story Of
their conspiracy no semblHnce of mar.
tyrdom in their duress-nothing on
which to base an Npleal to sympathy
other than the strange inability of the
conspiritors 10 comprehend the enor.
nifty of their crime and the intellectual
or moral perversion by which they
were misled.
1t Is little wonder, then. that Mr.
Swetts oratory fell short of fervid in.
spiration. He was speaking at great
disadvantage, quite as much so before
bench of unimpassioncd judges as
before prejudlced and unsympathetic
jury. Yet he doubtless made all of
the case that II is possible to make, aud
It Is due to the unfortunate men whose
cause he has in hand, that they should
have the full benefit of the exceptions
which he took to the evidence on which
they were convicted and to the iuCom.
potency of the Jurors by whom he
claims they were prejudged.
Their fate Is to be determined, not in
accordance with the universal feeling
that they are morally responsible for
the death of the seven murdered po.
lcemen and that they deserve to suffer
the technical question whether they
committed violation Of law, and
whether they were convicted on proper
testimony. Mr.. SWEET insists that they
acted in violation of no existing law;
that the evidence adiuced against them
was inadmiSible where 1t was not
irrelevant, and that they were not tried
by an impartial jury. 1t Is on these
strictly legal points that the case rests,
not on public sentiment, and an An.
archist has as much right, we suppose,
TO make use Of the loopholos of the law
10 escape amenability for his trans,
gressions as any other kind Of a citizen,
II is to be presumed that the Su.
preme Court of Illinois will act In the
matter without fear or prejudice, aud
solely with reference TO the aimiuistrl.
tion of justice in due judicial form. As
for public sentiment, 1t would in all
probability rest satisfied with remis-
sion of the death sentence, but never
patiently consent to an exercise of the
pardoning power 1t may be that the
safety of society and the stability OF
our civil institutions do not demand
the death of August Spies and his as
sociates; that imprisonment would
prove a sufficiently exemplary penalty
and answer every requirement.
1t is possible that a new trial will bt
granted on the pending appeal, but un
less enough of the evidence is ruled
out to leave the case with nothing to
stand on, the final acquittal of the ap
rellants as men innocent Of otiense is
contingency not to be entertained.
THE collection of another 800, 900,
600 of superiluous revenue" says tn,
New York lIorld this morning, "ough
10 be prevented though 1t would TAX,
an extra session of Congress to do 1t.
1t Is plain that no extra session whicl
could now be convened, especially II
the present conflicting temper of par
ties and factions respecting the tariff
would be able TO agree upon Legislation
checking this accumulation; but al
extra session might readily agree upor
some plan for spending the money a
fast as 1t comes In. This would obyiat
the danger of contraction to an appre
ciable extent and with no improviden
waste of the revenue.
Is II possible that In all this grea
Government no place can be founC
even as watchman, for veteran VIII
deserves so well Of his country {
Captain james A. Harrington, th
battle.scarred pilot? \ man wit
Herrington's heroic record should NJ
be compelled TO stand off shore mont
after month, In vain cndeavOr to bel
into harbor, and we are glad to lear
that, after twenty years waiting, he
in % fair way to get some humble reco.
milton of his services on the watc
force of the Treasury.
THE citizens of Brooklyn are no
proposing to found a memorial library
as well as build monument, in hon,
Of the late Mr.. Beecher. Wouldn't
be the wiser plan to do but one thin
at time? Statues are not erected
minute. One or the other shouI
be completed and out of the way b
fore a dollar is raised for the next.
A CORRESPONDENT of the New Yor
HrdM figures It out that the DlstrlC
of Columbia practically controls one
fourth of all the appointments in tn
executive departments" therefore tn
Democracy of the District have N